The invention is directed to an educational game for simulating business startup to initial public offering. In particular, the game provides both an educational experience and a competitive challenge among players while simulating a business startup to initial public offering.
Board games and computer software games can be both educational and fun. Conventional board games are for enjoyment although there are some games that are also educational. In the marketplace no known game exists that combines the educational opportunity and challenge of skill in taking a company from business startup to initial public offering.
What is needed is a game that overcomes the identified limitations and provides an educational game for simulating business startup to initial public offering.
The invention is directed to an educational game for simulating business startup to initial public offering (IPO). In the exemplary embodiment, the game is played on a board and includes business plans, playing pieces, cards and money. At the beginning of the game, the players fill out the beginning of a business plan. During the game, the players guide the business through four stages in order to form the business, build the management team, obtain funding, hire employees, locate office space, develop a product, market the product, hire lawyers and investment bankers, and deal with the securities and exchange commission. If successful, the company reaches IPO and the player calculates the net worth of the company.
In the exemplary embodiment, the board is square and divided into four stages. Each stage has a number of spaces and a respective goal to be accomplished during the stage, and each stage represents a point along a path from business startup to initial public offering. A numbers of playing pieces are provided and each player chooses a piece. The game is played by each player rolling dice and moving his playing piece from a start position on the board toward a finish position by way of the various stages.
The game can be played a number of different ways. In one aspect of the invention, the first player to reach the IPO position wins the game. In another aspect of the invention, the first player to reach the IPO position is given a bonus for finishing first and the other players complete the game in the hope of having the greatest net worth at the end.
The game is not limited to a board and may also be played on a computer. A computer game embodiment of the invention can employ a multi-person game played over the internet, or can employ the computer as a record keeper or second player.